Mail-bag lock.



No. 663,268. Patented De. 4, |900.

- W. B. GORDON.

MAIL BAG LOCK.

(Appcation filed Der:` 22, 1899.1

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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

WILLIAM R. GORDON, OF OSCEOLA, SOUTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR OF ON- HALF TOHARRY HINES AND DUNKLINA FERGUSON, OF LANCASTER,

SOUTH CAROLINA.

MAIL-BAG LOCK.

SPECIFICATION formingvpart of Letters Patent No. 663,268, dated December4, 1900.

Application led December 22,1899. Serial No. 741,317. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. GORDON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Osceola, in the county of Lancaster and State of SouthCarolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mai l-BagLocks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to mail-bag locks, and is designed as animprovement over my former patent, No. 535,001, dated March 5, 1395.

In the drawings forming part of the speciication, and in which likesymbols of reference represent corresponding parts in the several views,Figure 1 is a perspective view of the bag, showing the mouth open. Fig.2 is an elevation showing the sliding tonguechain and its guide-plates.Fig. 3 is a view of the sliding tongue-chain detached; and Fig. 4 is alongitudinal sectional View at right angles to Fig. 1.

l represents the bag to Which my device is applied, having the slots 2arranged on opposite sides of its mouth, so as to register when the twosides are brought together. These slots are eyeleted in the usualmanner, eX- cept those passing through plates 5, which of course performthe same function as an eyelet.

3 is the flap of the bag provided with staples 4, located on the insideof the same. Just beneath the flap of the bag I attach a series ofplates 5, having the guiding-pins 6, Which work in slots 8, formed inthe tongues 9 of a chain-like slide or locking-plate 10. Thislocking-plate l slides Within Yguidingstaples 11, attached to the plates5, and is formed of a series of links 12, 13, and 14, attached to plates5', that carry the tongues 9. The plates 5 are connected to the links bypins 6', so that a yielding connection is secured. The links 14 arelonger than the other links for the purpose of accommodating the hasp15, which is hinged at 16 to one of the plates 5 and forms alever, bymeans of which the slide may be reciprocated Within the staples 11..

The operation of the device is as follows The flap 3 being folded overthe mouth of the bag and the staples 4 passed through the slots 2 onboth sides of the mouth of the same, the hasp is turned upon its hingeso that the tongues 9 are drawn through staples 4, p and a padlock isattached to the staple passing through the hasp 15.

' Having now fully described my invention, what I claim asneW, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device of the character described, a reciprocable locking-plate,guides for the same, plates having a plurality of pins connecting themWiththe links of the lockingplate, and having slotted tongues extendingfrom the same, a hasp hinged at its inner'eud to the bag and having ahinged connection with the locking-plate, its inner hinge act-ing as afulcrum When the locking-plate is operated, and staples attached to thebag-flap adapted to be engaged by the tongues of the lockingplate- 2. lna device of the character described, a reciprocable linkedlocking-plate, slotted locking tongue-plates having a plurality of pinsconnecting them with the locking-plate, guide-pins attached to the bagand working in said slots, staples on the bag-hap, and a hasp hinged tothe edge of the bag and having also a hinged connection to thelockingplate, its inner hinge acting as a fulcrum when the locking-plateis operated.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM R. GORDON.

Witnesses:

J. F. CLYEUEN, J. WYLIE PORTER.

